Pitman-connection for mowers



' ,W. GAUSE. PI'IMAN CONNECTION FOB. MOWERS, 55.

(No Model.)

' Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

IN VENTOR m WI TNESS '15 u. Perms. mawm n w. wmanm". n. c.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM GA USE, on FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

PlTMAN-CONNECTION FOR MOWERS, 80C;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,603, dated October16, 1883.

Application filed September 3, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GAUsn, of Fort 'Wayne, county of Allen, andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in PitmanConnections for Mowers, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the aceompanyingdrawings,making part of this specification.

I the same time avoiding the friction and lateral play or the crampingand binding of the parts incident to the use of a short pitman under theordinary construction and arrangement of said parts, and is particularlydesigned in use for mowing and reaping machines for actuating the knifeor sickle bar, but may be used elsewhere-whenever economy of space isdesirable.

I In the accompanying drawings, for the purpose of illustration, I haveshown my improved pitman. applied to the knife of amowing-Inachine.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the cutting apparatus,taken in line with the pivotal connection of the pitman with theknife-head. Fig. 2 is a plan view, showing the crank-shaft andshoe-sleeves andthe joints between the pitman and the crank-shaft andknife-head in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a front. view of the pitman,its actuating-crank,

and friction-wheels; and Fig. 4 represents a transverse section throughaportion of the inner shoe, showing the crank-shaft sleeve and the partsconnecting the shoe therewith in endelevation. v

\ The portions of theframe and cutting apparatus shown in the drawingsare similar to the corresponding parts described in Letters Patent forimprovement in mowing-machines granted to me May 16, 1882, and need not,therefore, be herein described in detail.

A. represents the crankshaft, to which motion is communicated from thedriving wheel or wheels in any usual or preferred manner; B, the sleevein which said shaft has its bearing; 0, the shoe-sleeve surrounding theend of the crank-shaft sleeve B, and adapted to turn freely thereon, andto this sleeve 0 the inner shoe, D, of the cutting apparatus is rigidlysecured by means of lugs c and (1, one pendent from sleeve C and theother upright on the shoe D and through bolts uniting said lugs, asshown.

E represents the bar to which the slotted guards or fingers e aresecured, said bar being rigidly secured to the shoe D, and]? is thereciprocating knife-bar to which the knife sections or cutters f areattached.

To the inner end of the knife-bar]? is secured the knife-head G,provided with a heel projection, g, which, with the heel ends of theknife-sections f, project in rear of the bar F and overhang the forwardedge of the fingerbar E, as shown in Fig.1; and directly-behind the headG is a guide-plate, H, secured to the inner end of the finger-bar,preferably by the same bolts which united the fingers and shoe thereto.This guide-plate is provided on its forward edge with a lip, 71, whichoverhangs the heel projection g of the knife-head, serving to hold saidknife-head in place and to guide and steady its movements, and upon theupper face of said lip h, or of the plate H in rear thereof, and whichis of a length correspondingto the throw of the knife, or of the pitmanhereinafter described, is formed a V- shaped rail or way, h, whichserves as a track for the friction-roller, also hereinafter described.

Upon the end of the shaft A is secured a crank and fly-wheel, A,provided on its outer face with a crank wrist or pin, a, to which oneend of the pitman I) is secured, preferably through a ball-and-socketedjoint, as represented. as being best adapted to accommodate 1 thelateral vibration of the end of the pitman connected with the pin a,under the inclined arrangement of the crank-shaft shown. The

spherical socket in the pitman end,f0r the ball a on the crank-pin a, isformed one-half in the pitman-head I) proper and the other in a block,If, adjustable in a slot in said head by sate'for wear.

' said formation serving to prevent lateral play which said pin isconnected through the pitm an means of a screw or screws, F, forpermitting I the insertion and removal of the ball from the socket andadjustment of the latter to compen- The outer end of the pitman isbifurcated,and its arms stride the upright perforated lugg on theknife-head G, and also a grooved friction-roller, I, arranged in rear ofsaid lug g, and secured to the same pin 1', which connects thebifurcated end'of the pitman with said lug g. The lug or upright g isset at an inclination corresponding to that of the shaft A and itscrank-pi'na in such manner as to bring the eye or sleeve 9 in which thepin *6 has its bearing, into a plane parallel with said shaft, and thegrooved roller I into a plane at right angles thereto. The roller I iskeyed or otherwise secured to the pin 2', causing the latter to roll inits bearings in the sleeve 9 and in the bifurcated end of the pitman,thereby preventing wear in the hub of said roller. The roller has aV-shaped groove formed in its periphery, matching the V-shapedguide-rail h on the plate H, on which said roller moves,

and displacement of the roller and; to guide and steady the movements ofthe inner end of the knife connected therewith. V

Under the construction described and shown it will be seen that the pinor shaft t" of the friction-roller I and the end or shaft A, with I),are brought into or about into the same horizontal plane and into closeproximity-one with the other, necessitating the employment of a veryshort pitman, which, under the ordinary arrangement of parts, wouldserve to vibrate theinner end of the knife-bar vertically, and so causeit to bind in its guideways and seriously impair its efficiency. Bygiving to the crank-shaft a direction of rotation from its upper sideoutward, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, it will be seen that inthe outward throw of the knife the crank-pin is above the plane of thepin 2' of roller I, and the pitman is thereby made to push downward onthe roller 1,

causing the latter to take the vertical thrust of the pitman, and soprevent any binding of the inner end of the knife in its ways, while inthe inner movement of the pitman the crankpin a will have passedbelowthe plane of the pin 2', and the pitman b will consequently pulldownward on said pin, again throwing its Vertical thrust or pull on theroller I, said roller being thus made to take all the vertical thrust ofthe pitman, and thereby rendering it practicable to employ a pitman ofbut little greater length than the throw of its actuating-crank, andenabling me to bring the parts connected by it into compact shape.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new 1. The shortbifurcated pitman, in combination with the friction-roller and theknifehead, or the equivalent thereof, connected with said pitman,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the crank-shaft, of the pitman, the groovedfriction-roller,-connected with said pitman by a pin or pivot arrangedabout in the same horizontal plane with the end of the actuatingcrank-shaft with which it is connected by said pitman, and a fixed trackor way for said roller, substantially as described.

3.; The combination, with the crank-shaft, of the short bifurcatedpitman, the grooved friction-roller, the fixed rail or track for saidgrooved roller, the knife-head, or the equiva lent thereof, connectedwith, said pitman and friction-roller, and provided with theheel-extension, serving, in connection with alip or the guide-railplate,to guide and steady the movement of the knifehead, allsubstantially as described.

4. The short bifurcated pitman provided with the hemisphericalhalf-socket, in combination with the adjustable half-socket con nectedtherewith, and the screw or screws for adjusting the same, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of August,A. D. 1883.

WM. GAUSE.

Witnesses: T. N. McBRInn,

A. B. TRENTMAN.

